Andre Remembered

Prologue

Russian Civil War, 1918-1921
"Andre Tchelistcheff, serving in the anti-Communist
White Army, was left for dead on the battlefield
after his unit was machine-gunned during a
snowstorm. His father held a funeral for him."

...San Francisco Chronicle

Fortunately, California's distinguished enologist
did not leave for that great vineyard in the sky
for another 55 years, passing away in his beloved
Napa Valley six years ago on this exact date.

The Rest of the Story

A San Francisco television station was filming my visit with
Robert Mondavi at the winery.
Who appeared? Andre Tchelistcheff, (pictured some years ago). (CHEL-a-chev) Impressions...

Incredibly short...about four feet eleven inches.

Huge, mobile eyebrows.

A furrowed face that frequently crinkled
into a pixyish smile. (Example: "I let
my clients make their own decisions, as long
as they agree with me!")

Here are a few tidbits from the life of...

The King of Cabernet

First Champagne—Andre's uncle had
thrown a large party on their 4,000-acre estate
outside of Moscow. After the guests left the
dining room, the 12-year-old future winemaker
and a couple of young cohorts tiptoed back into
the room to finish off the bubbly beverage their
parents seemed to enjoy. It was much fun until
uncle discovered them.

Age 17—The estate is burned to the ground by
the anti-Czarist regime. For the rest of his
life Andre will recall the transient nature of
such possessions. Hence, he never had a large
home. In fact, California's greatest winemaker
never even had a wine cellar..."just a few bottles
under the bed."

The first California wine he ever tasted? In
1937 at a Paris International Exposition, he
sipped a Wente Semillon and an Inglenook
Gewürztraminer. They had genuine appeal...they
were "extravagant."

"When I think about wine, I think in French,
not English."

"The best two wines I ever made in over 60
harvests were my 1946 and 1947 Pinot Noir at Beaulieu."

In Paris at a wine institute in 1938, Andre
worked with:

The future Secretary of Agriculture of Red China

A future enology prof at Santiago, Chile

Moet & Chandon enologists

He had job offers from all, but instead went to
work in California for B.V. at $125 a month.

Wine of the Day

And a final quote, "I never claimed greatness
except with my Cabernet..."

So, today's wine is 81% Cabernet, produced by his
beloved Beaulieu winery.
Name—Tapestry Reserve, 1996
Winery—Beaulieu Vineyard, or BV
Appellation—Napa Valley
Other Varieties in the Wine—17% Merlot plus
a whiff of Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc
Oak Aging—Half American, half French. When
Andre came to BV, he switched from French to
American oak because he "wanted more flavor...a
more aggressive wine." Near the end of his life,
he favored returning to French. So outstanding
BV winemaker Joel Aiken now is using both.
My Panel—"Tobacco," "Elegant"
Rating—EXCELLENT!
Contact—Master of Wine Joel Butler, (707) 967-5200, FAX (707) 963-5920
Price—$35 range

Postscript

I like S.F. Chronicle writer Sam Whiting's
tribute to Tchelistcheff. "His palate was so
refined he could tell whether a wine came from
Rutherford dust, Oakville dirt, of a furrow in
between."

Credit: Excellent reference ; Robert Benson's Great Winemakers of California

About the
Writer

Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history
for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine
courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College.
In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred
with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded
to American wine writers.